January 27, 2019

Steve Martin as Roger Stone on last night's "SNL" cold open.



Fantastic, hilarious performance.

And though Steve Martin never appears again in the show (except at the curtain call), we felt that he must have contributed to the show in other ways, because the whole thing seemed to be on a better, higher level than has become the norm.

Meade was especially amused by "I Love My Dog":



In other rap-related sweetness, I enjoyed this tribute to Manhattan's Upper East Side:

118 comments:

iowan2 said...

Thanks for watching, I don't anymore. We watch the local news on the NBC station, switch when its over, don't even waste 5 minutes on the cold open. Before I go to bed the last thing I want is to have a bunch of people that live in a NYC bubble, tell me how backwards I am. Of all the people in the world to lecture about politics, comics that live such sheltered lives and encounter zero diversity, are the least informed.

Maybe I'll view the clip on your recommendation.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Heh I re-watched the great movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles yesterday starring Martin and John Candy. I also watched the liberal docucrama "Get Me Roger Stone" which was recommended by several of the commenters here.

I love Steve Martin but that was a really lousy impression of Roger Stone.

WA-mom said...

I second. Thanks for watching, so we don't have to. You post the one or two old school funny skits each year. It saves us the discomfort of being bullied.

traditionalguy said...

That was a good creation of a straw man complaining about being old. Actually Stone only complained about being relegated to a bit part role of a simple Russian Secret Agent who arranged for Russian Secret Agent Trump's use of the insider info that was the totally legitimate e-mails downloaded to a thumb drive and handed over to Assange by DNC employee S_th R_ch.

Poor Seth Rich's actions and subsequent revenge murder ordered by Killery is the actual Top Secret in the Great Russian Hacking fiction.

Eleanor said...

The dog skit was cute.

tcrosse said...

the whole thing seemed to be on a better, higher level than has become the norm.

Too bad they fired Norm.

narciso said...

Meh:

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/01/no_maga_hats_in_the_opinion_workers_union_hall.html?fbclid=IwAR2gEGRyUtRHcq_2w4gGrfyyWzA6HY0o3N8uMdbJjDQR8qsu1vBvkkW4qbk#.XE2xX1iFvAw.facebook

roesch/voltaire said...

Yes this was a tighter scripted show with a better edge than the last few weeks; as a Steve Martin fan I would like to believe he had some influence and will pardon some of the last shows.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I watched about 30 minutes of last week's show and it was absolutely horrible. One skit was about names you know like Meet the Fokkers. Plus the cast members are mostly unattracive. Of course, Comcast , a corp owned by liberals, owns NBC so it does not care for quality just wants a large quantity of far left liberal slant.

William said...

I was hoping that they would do some cutting edge satire on the Covington Mob. I thank God we have people like Nathan Phillips, the Black Israelites, and Savannah Guthrie to protect us from these swine, but SNL should step up and do their part.

wild chicken said...

That UES rap was good. Very funny. Never been there but it's believable.

Actually Roger Stone is funnier than the impression. I don't think Martin really captured him at all.

Ralph L said...

Those rap videos were funny but seizure-inducing.

It's hard to believe it's been over a week since Covington hit the fan.

rehajm said...

One of my all time favorite SNL episodes is Season 5 Episode 1 hosted bt Steve Martin. Musical guest: Blondie. There’s even an appearance from a futre Senator...

I might try to watch this new one. Ann better not be tricking us...

Ann Althouse said...

I lived on the Upper East Side from 1973 to 1975. At first, we were on 91st Street and that was too far uptown to be considered nice. Every block you went north of 86th Street was considered worse, and at some point (past 91st Street), you were in East Harlem.

Later, we made it to 85th Street — south of 86th Street! This was a real move up. And by the way, we were very close to the high rise that was pictured in the opening credits to "The Jeffersons" (a TV show referenced in that SNL song).

Ann Althouse said...

One thing about this new episode — a lot of it felt sad. It conveys the sense that the spirit of the times is sadness and defeat.

And some of it was pointlessly (childishly) sexual.

Which reminds me, did Steve's Roger Stone say "fuck" unbleeped. I rewound to figure that out. He clearly says "fug."

Wince said...

Last night's SNL was one of the least entertaining I've seen in some time, and the show seems increasingly formulaic, demographically targeted and unimaginative to its detriment.

Martin's impression of Stone in the cold open was okay, more caricature than capture, but their need for political slant seems to limit their avenues for actual humor.

The relentless vaunting of a Manhattan youth-oriented progressive professional class that really doesn't exist for most people -- even those young people striving to live that life in NYC -- also results in a parochial humor that's very limiting.

And despite SNL's obvious attempt to attract minority viewers, aside from select hosts and musical guests I get the sense that for most the historic whiteness of SNL's humor still bleeds through.

They gave the Covington story a good leaving alone, when they could have easily worked Will Farrell's iconic cowbell in your face into the Covington story with Nathan Phillips drum...

But Nooooooo!

rehajm said...

It conveys the sense that the spirit of the times is sadness and defeat

If those people feel that way it means we’re doing the right things and that makes me happy.

mccullough said...

SNL has played it safe for a long time. Bringing back a cast member from the 70s is lame. Glad Martin got a paycheck.

Wince said...

Ann Althouse said...
One thing about this new episode — a lot of it felt sad. It conveys the sense that the spirit of the times is sadness and defeat.

Yes!

EDH said...
The relentless vaunting of a Manhattan youth-oriented progressive professional class that really doesn't exist for most people -- even those young people striving to live that life in NYC -- also results in a parochial humor that's very limiting.

I sense that "sadness and defeat" is the tension between "we are hip and cool" image and "this actually sucks" reality. Meanwhile, the remaining rational, independent thinkers are probably realizing that disappointment has less to do with Trump than with DeBlasio, especially when you're forced to sit down and capture that sensibility in humor that's actually funny.

Equipment Maintenance said...

I wonder why they didn't mock the feebleness of the FBI in that they needed so many armed agents to arrest one 66 year old sleeping man. That could have been funny.

David Begley said...

Leslie Jones was good. Steve Martin was not.

tcrosse said...

It conveys the sense that the spirit of the times is sadness and defeat

They are groaning under the yoke of Trumpian oppression.

Original Mike said...

Damn. Now I've got "The Jeffersons" song in my head.

Curious George said...

"Which reminds me, did Steve's Roger Stone say "fuck" unbleeped. I rewound to figure that out. He clearly says "fug.""

Fund. He's broke from legal expenses. Nobody buys his books. He set up a donation page based on his mistaken belief that people that are saying go fuck yourself are saying go fund yourself.

Achilles said...

The gestapo is always funny.

Watching an out of control police state abuse and attack citizens is funny funny.

That is two funnies.

Why is Hillary not being raided and arrested for lying to Congress right now? There are dozens of Democrats who are on record lying explicitly to Congress.

Oh that’s right.

Fuck you. War.

bgates said...

Which sketches were by the woman who offered a blowjob to anyone who'd physically assault a child whose hat she doesn't like?

gilbar said...

Equipment Maintenance said...
I wonder why they didn't mock the feebleness of the FBI in that they needed so many armed agents to arrest one 66 year old sleeping man. That could have been funny.

Basically All humor is found in things that the people involved don't find funny
if you're able to laugh at yourself, then others won't find it funny; people want to laugh AT you, not With you.
And, the left now finds Everything that happens to them as #that's Not Funny
So, ALL good jokes are now on the left side
BUT! The folks in the Media are the owners of the left, and thus: won't laugh at themselves

IF! someone at some place like SNL would do a joke mocking the left; it could be like the boy saying the emperor has no clothes, and the country would laugh and laugh.
People would see the foolishness of our left, Which would probably unite and save the country. but in the immortal words of Theodoric of York, medieval barber: NAH!

DEEBEE said...

If there was no laugh track one would fail to see the humor. It was way over the top, slapstick-y foolish. Sort of later Bing Bang Theory episodes, rather than the earlier ones.

rcocean said...

Pathetic.

Needed some jokes to go with the laugh track.

rcocean said...

I mean, who's an easier target than Roger STone. Yet they botch it completely. 4 vs. 7 hahahaha.

rcocean said...

BTW, I'm reading Miles Davis' biography and he talks about "Young white Hippies" going to his concerts at some place called "Filmore" in NYC. What's funny, is he didn't want that audience, he was after the "Hip" Young black audience.

I'm only through 1970 but his autobiography is unintentionally hilarious. He's a great musician but an absolutely horrible person.

rcocean said...

I bring it up because Miles Davis is 10x funnier than SNL

chickelit said...

I'd laugh harder at SNL if they weren't so blatantly partisan.

RNB said...

I live in the Atlanta area. If I made jokes about rich folks and property values in Buckhead, nobody (outside Atlanta) would get the point. But the audience for a national TV show surely know about the Upper East Side (of NYC). Why is that?

(Rhetorical question. Obviously, because NYC is where Important People live and Atlanta is in flyover Jesusland.)

chickelit said...

SNL loves to mock "toxic masculinity" in the form of mocking outsized male characters. I dare them to mock some of the toxic feminists polluting our news. Women like Ruth Graham or Amanda Manicotti.

bgates said...

Scene: a young woman sits alone on a couch with a smart phone. She's pretty, but something in her eye makes her look like someone to avoid. [is Alyssa Milano available? - Lorne] She mutters as she scrolls and types:

Ugh. That hat. I hate that hat! That kid thinks just because he's fifteen years old he can get away with wearing that hat. I'll show him: typing I will give a blowjob to anyone who punches this kid in the face. Scoffs. Hater.

And what is this? There was a Christmas concert? At a public middle school? Look at that little whore in her fancy dress, imposing her hateful beliefs on others. She probably thinks no one will stop her because she's a privileged white twelve year old girl. She never expected this: typing I will have bareback anal sex with anyone who drives out to West Virginia and knocks some teeth out of the mouth of Little Miss Thing here.

There is so much hate out there. Look at this! Look at this! Eight year old punk, wearing a t-shirt that says "I love my mommy" - as if that's all a woman can be! You horrible white boys think the whole world revolves around you. I'm putting a stop to it, and here's how: typing A Cleveland steamer to the person who decapitates this patriarchy-supporter.

It makes me so emotionally tired, seeing all this hatred. I need to relax. Maybe I can find some pictures of puppies. Here they are. Awwww. Awwww! Aww-wait. This baby golden retriever is playing with a white baby. A blue-eyed, white baby boy. In 2019! Who has those in 2019! You know that thing's going to rape black bodies as soon as it can get an erection! I have to stop this. Come on Twitter, be a force for justice! typing I want someone to find this baby, throw it in a trash bag, pour in some gasoline, and burn it to death. Same goes for its Nazi dog. In return, you get two Alabama Hot Pockets and a Kentucky Klondike Bar. [Hearts.]

Cut to image of newspaper front page. Above the fold headline, with scowling mug shot of same woman: "Writer Arrested for Making Terroristic Threats Against Minors." Scroll down to below the fold headline, w woman in same mug shot outfit but smiling and holding a trophy: "Writer Wins Special Humanitarian of the Year Emmy".

[final note: please don't google for any term you don't recognize.]

AlbertAnonymous said...

Honestly professor, I didn’t find it funny either.

I think someone said earlier “parochial” and that’s kind of how I felt. They were trying to be topical by having a Stone sketch, but the whole thing was off. Partially because Stone isn’t funny. He’s weird and eccentric, and kind of sad, but not really funny.

And partially because they were trying so hard to show Fox New as “narrative creator” ala CNN and MSNBC and I’m sure that’s how the left sees Fox (but not CNN and MSNBC). But I don’t think there was much to it in this case (the cops were over the top in this arrest), and frankly that kind of stuff isn’t funny. It’s just redoing the broadcast in a mocking tone. Pretty amateur-ish honestly.

Pillage Idiot said...

bgates said...

"Which sketches were by the woman who offered a blowjob to anyone who'd physically assault a child whose hat she doesn't like?"

If the show was funnier than usual this week, she probably didn't write any sketches - I am sure her time was otherwise occupied 24/7.

Gk1 said...

I have to ask, of the 90% of viewers and young people that supposedly watch this "hip" show do they have any idea who Roger Stone is? Other than political junkies, who would care? At least we are spared another tired, by the numbers impersonation of Trump by Alec Baldwin.

Sebastian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sebastian said...

"a lot of it felt sad"

Sounds like a missed opportunity.

What could be funnier than exploding lefty soft bigotry by repeating some Black Israelite invective unbleeped?

How about some simulated blowjobs for Catholic boy punchers? You know, like, teenagers everywhere lining up? Nick S punching himself?

How about a fake FBI raid on Tommy X, for the crime of lying to mommy about checking out forbidden websites?

Or an editorial meeting at the Daily Telegraph as they review the Burleigh article on Melania--doesn't that provide lots of material?

Or Trump building a lego wall right after caving to Nancy?

Or an interview with Ilhan Omar's two husbands?

Or an interview with Nicolas Maduro about the future of socialism?

rehajm said...

...of the 90% of viewers and young people that supposedly watch this "hip" show...

Young people don't watch the show- less than 12% of viewers are under the age of 24.

rehajm said...

Okay. I tried to watch. 2 minutes in I tapped out of the cold open. I scanned a few other sketches. The UES was kinda funny.

Weekend Update is EXACTLY like CNN at this point.

Earnest Prole said...

It's a dead-on impression.

Yancey Ward said...

If Sting were arrested, it would take 58 FBI and SWAT agents.....at least.

Drago said...

SNL, staff and writers, a show that is beloved by LLR Chuck if posting history is dispositive, hates republicans and conservatives almost as much as the LLR's and NeverTrumpers.

Almost....

gilbar said...

the ONLY person i know that watches this show are my 86 year old mother. She stays up to watch the opening, because as a card carrying democrat she thinks she has to.
It (and NPR), are where my mom gets her political 'info' about things like how Hobby Lobby won't let its employees have health care. Apparently, Lots of the folk at her retirement home also watch it.

Yancey Ward said...

The cold opening fails for a very simple reason- almost no one even knows who Roger Stone is.

That they did such a cold opening suggests to me that the audience for SNL is almost exactly the same as that for MSNBC and CNN, which should tell you everything you need to know about the show.

Yancey Ward said...

I was glad to see Steve Martin- he is missed. For my money, he is the greatest comedian of all time- in a league of his own.

gilbar said...

okay, the UES one was pretty funny

Professional lady said...

Why don't they do a funny sketch about the logistics of fellating everyone who voted for Hillary Clinton? Or, funnier yet fellating everyone who physically assaults some teenaged Catholic school boys?

MD Greene said...

Hard to tell if the range of allowable humor has become too constricted or the show just needs better writers.

Yancey Ward said...

Jane,

The humor is constrained by the audience, I think.

rcocean said...

Yeah, I agree. Roger Stone is abrasive, weird, over-the-top, sometimes right, sometimes wrong.

There's a ton of things you can satirize with Roger Stone. If you have talent. Which this gang doesn't. And when did Steve Martin ever do a good impression of anyone? His talent doesn't lie in that area.

That people find it funny doesn't shock me. Most people find ANYTHING Funny. I'm always astounded when I see movies, and the audience will HOWL at the most obvious jokes. Oh, the hero steps on dog-poop HAHAHHA. Oh, the husband burned dinner HAHAHA. Someone farts at a swanky dinner HAHAHA. Someone says "Vagina" HAHAHA

So, yeah, I'm sure SNL is making lots of $$$

iowan2 said...

"Greatest comedian of all time"

You're never wrong on your own opinion. So there's that.

Martin makes the #10 on the list of great physical comedians, like, Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, Jim Carey.
Then you can delve into standup, Comedic writing, comedic performances, etc.

Anyway Steve is for sure towards the top of his craft, but to be the best requires eliminating people like Charlie Chaplin, Mel Brookes, Mark Twain, Lenny Bruce, Carl Reiner.

Paco Wové said...

"Lots of the folk at her retirement home also watch it."

And, being old people, they probably all vote based on that "information" as well.

When senility shall this nation waste,
SNL shalt remain, adding to other woe
yet more, blights upon man, to whom thou whisp'rest,
"Orange man bad, bad orange man — that is all
ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

Earnest Prole said...

Roger Stone is abrasive, weird, over-the-top, sometimes right, sometimes wrong. There's a ton of things you can satirize with Roger Stone.

Like Trump he's gloriously idiosyncratic and hilarious -- I would encourage those who haven't to run, not walk, to watch the documentary Get Me Roger Stone currently on Netflix. It's not only a fascinating character study but a secret history of the last 50 years of Presidential politics.

Gunner said...

It would be so easy for a non-gutless SNL to write a sketch about the Covington lefty meltdown.

chickelit said...

OT, but what happened to Steve Martin's face? Was that just a lot of makeup puttied on or has he had work done?

I watched Hugh Grant last night in his latest and it was refreshing to see a man unafraid to show age in his face.

chickelit said...

I would encourage those who haven't to run, not walk, to watch the documentary Get Me Roger Stone currently on Netflix.

No thank you. You may think that the right cannot laugh at itself because they don't laugh at Steve Martin doing Roger Stone but we're not the ones putting on weakly skits on TV. It's the left who cannot laugh at themselves. Witness all the suggestions -- some serious, some half-serious -- in this thread which we'll never see in a million years. Why is that?

Ann Althouse said...

“BTW, I'm reading Miles Davis' biography and he talks about "Young white Hippies" going to his concerts at some place called "Filmore" in NYC. What's funny, is he didn't want that audience, he was after the "Hip" Young black audience.”

I was one of the kids in that audience and knew he didn’t belong in that setting. He was not the lead act and so it was not his audience and we were being respectful and attempting to appreciate him. But he chose to do it. That was probably the best musician I saw without caring about seeing.

Achilles said...

Yancey Ward said...
“Jane,

The humor is constrained by the audience, I think.“

No.

The people who own the network and control the show determine what is laughed at.

They lose millions every year.

But it is a small amount to them. They have massive empires built up using their pet congress people in dc.


cacimbo said...

Was unwilling to subject myself to the hate on Republicans open. We get that 24/7 from media, I turn to entertainment for relief from that. The two rap videos were surprisingly good. I even watched "I Love My Dog" twice.

Ann Althouse said...

For the record, it was 1970, and I was there to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

What’s the overlap in taste?

wsw said...

I recently grabbed the update of Tom Shales’ great oral history of SNL.

Writes Tom (paraphrasing): In the first years, the writers were not pleased if ever there would be applause / audible approval for social sentiments in a given skit. Writers wanted laughs, not consensus.

There was collective defiance of the writing staff, the attitude being, in essence: “We think it’s funny and if you don’t think so, you’re wrong.” The comedy material and players back then were not “coming to you” — you had to come to them.

Oh, how times have changed. -WSW

I'm Full of Soup said...

I watched the Roger Stone docudrama yesterday. It was a lefty production and most commentayr was from far left Jeffrey Toobin and Jane Mayer. They spoke of Stone as if he, alone, was the political scum of the earth and had invented every political trick ever. Other than those two, the thing was very entertaining.

bagoh20 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
cacimbo said...

Based on gilbar's comment I tried to find some data on SNL audience size/demographic. Audience size peaked from 1978-1980 and has been pretty much downhill. They did get a Trump bump during the 2015 election. Was surprised that 34% of their audience is over 55 while only 28% is under 34. I was under the impression that the revolving cast helped them target and keep the 18-30 bracket, but based on the data that isn't the case.

bagoh20 said...

I know this is what everybody does, but here's my 2 cents.

My woman always makes us put SNL on every Saturday Night, and we always stop watching pretty quickly out of disappointment. It seems they are recycling the same three jokes or themes over and over. It's just not very creative. I'm never surprised by anything they do, and surprise is a key element of humor. And the politics is just relentless. Politic, race, race, politics. It's way worn out. There are other things to laugh about, you know.

We have been watching old Mad TV shows on Youtube, and it's just much funnier. It's edgy without being preachy. The players have a better and wider variety of characters that they execute better, and without that thing SNL can't seem to overcome which is the constant feeling that it's tongue in cheek, but in a forced way. You can't forget that they are playing parts. The characters never seem or even try to seem real. You can't suspend knowledge of the acting, which means it's not very good. They don't commit.

Last night we with our 25 yr old daughter were watching Mad TV for awhile and laughing our asses off. Then we put on SNL for a few minutes, and we looked at each and agreed "this is not very good. Why is this show still on and Mad TV not?"

Churchy LaFemme: said...

BTW, I'm reading Miles Davis' biography and he talks about "Young white Hippies" going to his concerts at some place called "Filmore" in NYC. What's funny, is he didn't want that audience, he was after the "Hip" Young black audience.

It's kind of ironic, but to the extent jazz has an audience at all these days, it's 100% white (with, ok, some statistical noise in the weeds for fans of other races).

Gk1 said...

I am guessing its still an economically viable show. They cast no-bodies and then get celebrities who are trying to hawk crap movies or stay relevant. When cast members get too famous and want more money they are pushed off unto an ice flow like Bill Hader or Kristen Wiig. The show is like having Guy Lombardo host the New Years festivities with is band. Old people still watch it out of habit but everyone else barely pays attention to it.

Earnest Prole said...

It was a lefty production and most commentayr was from far left Jeffrey Toobin and Jane Mayer.

Tucker Carlson is featured just as prominently, but the real attraction is that Stone is allowed to present himself, hilariously and forcefully.

Earnest Prole said...

In the first years, the writers were not pleased if ever there would be applause / audible approval for social sentiments in a given skit. Writers wanted laughs, not consensus.

This is precisely why late-night television hosts are no longer watchable: They're seeking virtue applause rather than belly laughs.

gilbar said...


And, being old people, they probably all vote based on that "information" as well.


you're darn tootin' they did! I would assume that voter turnout there exceeds %99. The get an absentee ballot in the mail, that they fill out and complain about it being sooooo difficult!

Not to worry, next election iowa will have voter harvesting like california (as will the rest of the nation), and they will just have (at most!) sign a form handed to them by a democrat vote harvester.

Life will be so much simpler once we get rid of the formality of having to actually vote

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

All conservatives are portrayed as nightmares, worthy of endless ridicule, mockery and death. Is it any wonder the left went insane over some teens in maga hats?
on SNL - Democratics and progressive left-wingers are left untouched. Gee - I wonder why? NBC is a propaganda arm to the democratic party. It's a trickle down propaganda organization. Hollywood and NY bubble actors are happy to oblige. Check.


I was at the gym riding the recumbent bike the other night, and I take the opportunity to watch cable (since I don't have cable at home) and I tried to watch Rachel Maddow. She's really odd. Her arms are flailing around and she is ultra-animated with her near constant "We've got him now!" routine.

Rachel is entirely mock-able. No way NBC would ever mock a member of team-propaganda.

Anyway - some of us have tuned it all out because it's a non-stop political hit job. Now Roger Stone is an easy target. Thjat dude is nuts. but so what? Its' all so tired.

walter said...

I found the Wilbur Ross bit better than the Stone one.

Professional lady said...
Why don't they do a funny sketch about the logistics of fellating everyone who voted for Hillary Clinton? Or, funnier yet fellating everyone who physically assaults some teenaged Catholic school boys?

Yeah..what came to mind before seeing your post was a day in the life skit of a busty NYC entertainment media whore who tries to use/foist unwanted blowjobs as currency in everyday transactions. "Hey..I'll give you a blowjob for that". Maybe one of those street squeegee folks could admonish her to get some self-respect.

FWIW, transcript of Tucker/Stone: Stone on his indictment

Jim at said...

Watch some In Living Color episodes if you want to laugh. Especially the first three to four seasons. Everybody - and I mean, everybody - was targeted.

SNL today? Thanks. No. The early years were great. Picked back up with Murphy and Piscopo. Rebounded again with Myers, Carvey and Farley.

It's been crap since.

Hey Skipper said...

bgates @ 10:35: that was Laszlo worthy.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Remeber that time SNL mocked John Kerry and his running mate, the invisible John Edwards?

Oh yeah - nope.

traditionalguy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

See, Netflix film “ Get Me Rodger Stone”. He is actually a great man. Stone is best described as the Forest Gump on the last 50 years of American politics.

Earnest Prole said...

It’s too bad SNL plays it so one-sided, since the Left is so ripe for satire these days. And they could bring it if they wanted to, as The Bubble (presented ten days after Blue America awoke to the Orange Unthinkable) proved:

“The Bubble is a planned community of like-minded free thinkers — and no one else. So if you’re an open-minded person, come here, and close yourself in.”

“In here, it’s like the election never happened.”

“Who knows what the hell is happening outside in ‘their’ America.”

“And unlike the rest of America, anybody is welcome to join us. One-bedroom apartments start at $1.9 million.”

“Planning is underway to give you everything you need — except police and firemen, because we haven’t found any who’d agree to live here.”

“It’s their America now, but we’ll be fine, right here in The Bubble.”

Bill Peschel said...

So this is the best you get when a 74-year-old white man (Lorne Michaels) programs a show with young, underdeveloped talent for an audience of older white liberals.

(Although I did enjoy the rap video and most of the UES video.)

walter said...

They could have made comedic hay portraying his deaf wife not hearing directives from armed agents on the other side of the bathroom door...CNN reporters declaring she barricaded herself in there.

traditionalguy said...

THe serendipitous CNN reporter was an FBI agent who was the consigliere of Lying Comey. Hmmm?

Robert Cook said...

"I wonder why they didn't mock the feebleness of the FBI in that they needed so many armed agents to arrest one 66 year old sleeping man."

That is not at all about how feeble they are. As is true with many similar invasions of law enforcement officers into homes at the crack of dawn (or earlier), (many of them effected by forcible entry, often accompanied by the murder of family pets), this is all about terrorizing the persons being arrested and making a public show of the government's power to do whatever the fuck it likes to American citizens any time and with as much force as they please.

Minorities and the poor bear the brunt of this type of police terrorism, but any citizen can be subject to it.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Watching Mrs. Meisel based on all the recommendations.

Would agree that it starts our iffy - but turns into crack-cocaine.

eric said...

I didn't find myself laughing at all during the steve martin bit. Seemed tired and old.

The rap was funny though.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Sorry you folks are feeling sad and defeated. We on the left are feeling hopeful.

narciso said...

roger stone, was the original 'wild and crazy' guy, well not in 76, when he fired john Kasich for smoking pot,

narciso said...

maybe tom should be looking for a good atty,

https://twitchy.com/jacobb-38/2019/01/27/what-people-tom-brokaws-report-citing-no-one-about-republicans-and-brown-grand-babies-is-disgusting/

walter said...

1 word trade center essentially draped in a pussy hat to celebrate abortion policy more "progressive" than much of "progressive" Europe.

Sandmann's name permanently stamped with the initial shit branding by left media.

Dangerous Roger Stone taken down by armed FBI, only to be reased the same day.

Yeah..you find hope in the strangest things

Known Unknown said...

A sketch on the FBI DRAMA ACADEMY could've been funny.

rhhardin said...

The skits are in the not-funny genre of laff-out-loud-funny, as seen on DVD promos.

"As you can see, we are being over-the-top funny here."

Actually, no.

narciso said...

yes, I remember the early mad tv skits, they were rough on newt, but they were often absurd, like miss swan, the Chinese lady who was very unspecific in her witnessing,

Static Ping said...

Okay, I bit. That was actually pretty good, reminiscent of the quality of the show when I used to watch it. Thank you.

The Godfather said...

Do you remember when performers could be funny without alienating half the potential audience? Johnny Carson, for example. If Bob Hope were still around, the Oscars wouldn't have any trouble finding a host.

Yeah, I know I'm an old fart, but isn't it a bad sign about our society that today humor -- humor!!! -- depends on dividing us into adversarial groups?

And, since you ask, NO, the Stone sketch wasn't funny, wasn't clever, wasn't worth the 5 minutes it took to see, or the 5 minutes it took to create it.

walter said...

Known Unknown,
Yes..Keanu Reeves instructing

Drago said...

Inga: "Sorry you folks are feeling sad and defeated. We on the left are feeling hopeful."

I'm sure the bombings of the Christian churches in the Phillipines by "spark of divinity" islamic supremacists and spending an entire week calling for the killing and destruction of some Catholic high schoolers in Kentucky as well as passing a bill in NY that is infanticide (probably better for body parts harvesting) have all perked up the dems/left/LLR spirits across the board.

There were also a few more "spark oof divinity" MS13 killings of US citizensin recent weeks so I'll bet that was a plus too.

We really need to get more of these folks into our nation as soon as possible. Did you know that there are still some poorer communities in the US suffering from a lack of "spark of divinity" MS13 murderers?

rcocean said...

"That was probably the best musician I saw without caring about seeing."

So, Althouse no Miles Davis Love? Even today? What do think about Jazz?

Believed it or not, I just "discovered" him. 'Kind of Blue', 'Bitches Brew' 'So what?'
I didn't realize he was so great - as a musician - not a person.

rcocean said...

What’s the overlap in taste?

I don't know who Neil YOung and Crazy horse are.

I suppose I can Google.

rcocean said...

"Rachel is entirely mock-able. No way NBC would ever mock a member of team-propaganda."

There's a real unmet market for Conservative Satire. The problem is people with comedic talent don't want to "Come out of the closet" as Conservative and fill the demand. If they did, they could immediately black-balled by the rest of the Liberal/Left Entertainment "Industry".

Result: They could continue to play to conservative audiences, but would have to do it for the rest of their lives.

rcocean said...

"Was surprised that 34% of their audience is over 55 while only 28% is under 34."

You need to count all the young people who see Clips of the shows on Youtube or other places on the internet.

Sitting down and "Watching TV" isn't something most under 30's do.

Gk1 said...

The pacing of all these sketches are overly long and tedious, an SNL hallmark. Thank god with Hulu I can just buzz through them. Its just like when I last taped it in the early 2000's. So that hasn't changed. I still like Steve Martin after all these years and watched the sketch but seriously no one knows who Roger Stone is and couldn't care less. God, I hope he doesn't come back repeatedly like that sad sack Alec Baldwin and his lame trump impression. That was so 2016. Good grief, move on already.

Earnest Prole said...

Sitting down and "Watching TV" isn't something most under 30's do.

What's a TV?

Browndog said...

Just watched it-

Carlson: Nailed the cadence, vernacular. Good jog. B

Stone: WTF was that?? Have they never hear or seen Stone before? Did they just tell Martin to play some obnoxious loud mouth?. F-

JML said...

I used to like Steve Martin. I still like his banjo playing now.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

rcocean 5:16

100% - when Tim Allen dared, in the smallest tiniest meager way, to mock the left - his show was cancelled.

The mainstream networks are all The Party(D) propaganda outfits.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Wow, way lame. Really, really not funny. Hilarious? Shit.

walter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gahrie said...

If Bob Hope were still around, the Oscars wouldn't have any trouble finding a host.

Yeah, I know I'm an old fart, but isn't it a bad sign about our society that today humor -- humor!!! -- depends on dividing us into adversarial groups?


Bob could be hard on the Democrats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5PInhXkfvs

Unknown said...

SNL: Caricatures of The Right for those who are right.

never gets old!

Narayanan said...

Came to this post from meaning after reading,

https://theconservativ,etreehouse.com/2019/01/27/sunday-talks-roger-stone-vs-resistance-operative-george-stephanopoulos/


I'd been under the impression that "Cold Open' meant without rehearsing or prescription from higher ups.

If the skit had been back-chat by Steve Martin at his interlocutor esp ABC host it could've been edgy.

Tomcc said...

Professor A.: "For the record, it was 1970, and I was there to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse." That's great! You may be only the third person I know of that likes Neil Young (and I exaggerate only slightly). I've always liked Neil Young's music- even his singing, but I would have only been 12 in 1970.

Trashcan O Man said...

Roger Stone is a distinctive character that someone with talent and skill could mock with accuracy. But no talent or skill is required to satisfy the mindless Orange Man Bad SNL crowd. Martin didn't nail anything other than the glasses. It's as if he knows nothing about Roger Stone beyond a photograph, had never heard him speak or seen him act. So what he delivers is a tired retread of his "Wild and Crazy Guy" shtick.

alanc709 said...

Love Neil Young, especially with Crazy Horse. Not wild about his politics.

Bilwick said...

You fooled me. I thought this was going to be a rap version of the song "I Love My Dog," heard each week on the syndicated show "Dog Tales." When they play it I like to sing along with it. My cat gets jealous.

Narayanan said...

She is funny.

https://ricochet.com/592196/snl-presents-alexandra-ocasio-cortez/

SNL will not dare to bring her back.